Eugene Whitlock, chief people and culture officer, sent the following message to the campus community on Wednesday on behalf of the Chancellor’s Cabinet:
We are writing to share with you that Juneteenth (June 19, 2020) will be a day of remembrance for UC Berkeley. This Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, takes on an even greater significance as America reckons with its racist past and present while marching toward a future grounded in justice and equality. Acknowledging the significance of Juneteenth is a good place to start thinking about how we lift each other up rather than holding some among us down.
At UC Berkeley, and in our broader community, there will be many opportunities for you to pause and reflect on the centuries-long structural systems that have enforced a brutal inequality and exploitation of the Black community. We encourage you to use the time to genuinely reflect on what you can do to press our university and the country toward our ideals for humanity, justice and equality. For more information on Juneteenth and what you can do to honor the day, including a wide range of professional development activities, please visit UC Berkeley’s Juneteenth Website.
If you choose to engage in these professional development or similar activities on Juneteenth and take time away from work, please notify your supervisor as soon as possible to make sure that activities essential to campus operations are addressed. You should record the professional development time as “regular” work time. For those who prefer not to participate in this development opportunity, you can perform your duties as usual.